Ruggles House

A Victorian mansion built in the 1800s, Ruggles House is appointed with unique furnishings and family antiques. It was expanded by a lumber baron who made it his family home. Set back from the street in a quiet residential neighborhood near the University of Vermont and Champlain College, Ruggles House is surrounded by well-tended lawns and flower and vegetable gardens. The peaceful interior is enhanced by French doors surrounding sunlit parlors, exotic woods, parquet floors and intricately decorated fireplaces.

Ruggles House is a shared housing community for adults 55 and older who want to remain socially active and independent. There are 13 efficiency apartments and two one-bedroom apartments, each with a kitchenette and private bathroom. Residents share the main living room, kitchen and dining room.

Ruggles House is a SASH® location, with a full-time SASH coordinator and part-time wellness nurse. It offers tax credit and market-rate homes as well as some subsidized apartments and, like all Cathedral Square communities, accepts Section 8 vouchers. Applicants must apply both to Cathedral Square and Burlington Housing Authority.

FEATURES

• 15 apartments (13 efficiencies; two one-bedrooms) with kitchenettes and private baths; some with fireplaces, historical details and views of the Green Mountains
• Common kitchen, dining room and living areas
• Historic common rooms with fireplaces and ornate woodwork
• Located near Champlain College, the University of Vermont, UVM Medical Center and downtown Burlington
• All utilities included in rent except telephone, internet and cable TV
• Elevator and laundry facilities
• Garden space
• On-site SASH coordinator, with regular visits by wellness nurse
• On Green Mountain Transit bus line; SSTA transportation available
• Secured entry
• 24-hour emergency maintenance

ELIGIBILITY

Residents must be 55 or older. For a subsidized apartment, which caps rent at 30% of household income, the maximum household income is $41,650 for one person or $47,600 for two. Households with a maximum annual income of $50,280 for one person or $57,480 for two are eligible for tax-credit apartments. These limits are as of May 2024. Section 8 portable vouchers, which also cap rent at 30% of income, are welcome for all other efficiencies.

DIRECTIONS

From I-89 take Exit 14W and follow signs toward downtown Burlington past the University of Vermont. Turn left at the light just past the college green onto South Prospect Street and continue two blocks. Turn left at the second Robinson Parkway entrance and make an immediate left turn into the Ruggles House parking lot.